Superiors and Leaders

To date, the Congrégation de Notre-Dame has been led by 42 Superiors, who are now referred to as Leaders, some of whom were in office for more than one term. Not only were they administrators responsible for a group which, for a long time, enjoyed continued growth, they were above all the guardians of the identity and the mission of the institution which was founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys.

These strong women guided the community toward better choices which would better serve society through education and community work. The philosophy of the Congregation was already innovative when it was founded. To continue its development, successive Superiors and their Councils had to be very persuasive, patient and flexible in order to maintain unity among the group and achieve the desired goals, many of which were important in the history of the regions where they were carried out.

The leadership of the Superiors of the Congregation succeeded in overcoming many obstacles and in finding solutions which would permit the community’s apostolate to continue, despite the various political, social, economic, religious and cultural shifts of the last three last centuries.